Mail-marking machine.



F. c. IELFIELD. MAIL MARKING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED MAR. 8.1915- Patented 0st. 31, 1916.

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E. C. IIELFIELD. MAIL MARKING MACHINE.

Patented 0st. 31

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MAIL MARKING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED MAR. a, 1915.

Patented Oct. 31, 1916.

3 SHEETSSHEET 3.

\A/iTNEEi-IEEE l ATTEIRIIEYb FRED C. IELFIELD, OF SILVER CREEK,

MARKING MACHINERY CO1VlI]':AI\]".Z'- POBATION OF NEW YORK.

NEW YORK, ASSIGNOR T0 STANDARD MAIL INC., OF SILVER CREEK, NEW YORK, A GOR- MAIL-MARKING MACHINE.

raoasas.

Application filed March 8, 1915.

T 0 all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, F RED 0. IELFIELD, a citizen of the United States, residing at Silver Creek, in the county of Chautauqua and State of New York, have invented new and useful Improvements in Mail-MarkingMachines, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates more particularly to that class of mail marking machines employing a time stop which is operated by the letters as they move toward the printing device and serves to release the printing mechanism only at such time in which the type-thereof is in proper position to make an impression on the letter.

The object of this invention is to provide a time stop mechanism for mail marking machines of this character in which the printing wheel is reliably held against rotation when no letter is in position to be received between the same and the impression roller; which can be easily operated by the letters for the purpose of releasing the printing wheel and which permits of gradually starting the printing wheel and also gradually stopping the same during each cycle of operations so that no unnecessary jar, noise or wear is produced during the operation of the machine.

In the accompanving drawings: Figure 1 is a top plan view of a mail marking machine embodying my improvements. Fig. 2 is a side elevation thereof, partly broken away. Fig. 3 is a fragmentary vertical longitudinal section taken in line 33, Fig. 1 and viewing the parts in a direction opposite to that shown in Fig. 2. Figs. 4., 5 and Gare fragmentary vertical sections, on an enlarged scale, taken in correspondingly nunr bered lines in Fig. 1. Figs. 7 and 8 are horizontal sections taken in line 7 8, Fig. 5 and showing the printing wheel and stop mechanism in different positions. Fig. 9 is a vertical section, similar to Fig. 6, and showing a slight modification of the means for mounting the printing wheel and the frictional driving mechanism associated therewith. Fig. 10 is a fragmentary top plan view of a modified construction of the stop mechanism.

Similar characters of reference indicate corresponding parts throughout the several views.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Serial No. 12,747.

1 represents the supporting table of the machine which is usually arranged in a horizontal position and which is provided at its rear end with a feeding section 2 upon which the uncancelcd letters are stacked while the opposite or front end of the table is provided with a receiving section 3 upon which the stack of canceled or post marked letters are accumulated after passing the printing mechanism.

lrepresents the feeding, propelling or carrying belt whereby the letters are fed from the feeding section to the receiving section of the table and which passes with its receiving and delivery turns around receiving and delivery pulleys 5, 6, respectively so that the stretches of this belt are arranged vertically. In the construction of the machine shown in the drawings, the feed belt is so arranged that the operative stretch of this belt is on the left hand side when viewing the machine from the feeding section of the table. The receiving pulley 5 is mounted on a horizontally swinging arm 7 which is pivoted by a post or pin 8 on the upper side of the table and is yieldingly moved toward the feeding section of the table by means of a spring 9 surrounding the stationary pivot post 8 and hearing at one end against this supporting arm while its opposite end bears against a head 10 on the upper end of the pivot or post 8, as shown in Fig. 3. The movement of the receiving roller and the belt toward the feeding section of the table under the action of the spring 9 is limited by means of an adjustable stop 11 whichpreferably consists of a screw arranged on the arm 7 and engaging with a stationary abutment l2, arranged on the adjacent part of the table.

The stack of letters 13 to be canceled is placed upon the feeding section of the table so that the letters are arranged lengthwise of the table with their lower edges resting thereon and the foremost letter resting with its right hand side partly against a longitudinal guide wall 14L arranged in rear of the receiving roller and partly against the re ceiving portion of the feeding belt while the front ends of the letters rest against a transverse abutment wall 15 arranged on the feeding section of the table transversely in line with the receiving pulley 5; The inner portion of the transverse abutment wall is in clined forwardly, as shown at 16, and is sep- Patented (let. 3i, rare.

arated from the adjacent part of the feeding belt by a throat or passage through which the letters pass successively from the feeding section of the table to the printing mechanism. In this inclined portion of the abutment is formed a recess or notch 17 which receives the separator 18 whereby only one letter at a time is permitted to be fed off from the supply stack by the feeding belt. This separator is preferably constructed of rubber or similar flexible material which is arranged close to the'face of the feeding belt and is inclined relatively thereto so that the separator and the feeding belt converge forwardly. The separator is mounted on the rear end of a horizontally swinging carrying arm 19 which is pivoted at its front end on a forward extensionQO of the abutment 15. A spring '21 hearing at its opposite ends against the wall extension 20 and the arm 19 operates to swing the latter yieldingly toward the face of the feeding belt, the movement of this arm in this direction under the action of this spring being adjustably limited by means of a stop screw 9,1 mounted on the separator arm 19 and bearing against the Wall extension 20, as shown in Figs. 1, 2 and l. 7 Normally the free edge of the separator is arranged so close to the face of the feeding belt that but one letter is permitted to pass forwardly between the same while the remaining letters of the stack on the feeding section of the table are held back, but if a letter of unusual thickness is present in this stack the separator is permitted to recede frompthe face ofthe belt owing to the resilience of the spring 21 and thereby permit this abnormally thick letter to pass forward without injuring any parts of the machine.

After a letter has beenseparated from the supply stack and effected the initial portion of its forward movement under the action of the feeding belt the same passes between the feeding beltand a guide roller 22 which is arranged opposite the front side or face of the feeding belt and is mounted on the upper end of a stationary arbor, post or pivot pin 23. Transversely in line with this guide roller a 'presser roller 24 bears against the back of the feeding belt which presser roller is mounted on a yielding support in order to enable letters of abnormal thickness to pass between the belt and said guide roller. For thispurpose the presser roller is mounted on a horizontally swinging arm 25 which latter is journaled on the upper part of an arbor 26 secured to the adjacent part of the table or other stationary portion of the machine and is yieldingly pressed toward the back of the belt by means of a spring 27 surrounding said arbor and bearing at one end against the arm 25 and at its other end against a head 28 mounted on the upper end of said arbor, as shown in Figs. 1 and 3.

After the letter passes between the guide roller 22 and the feeding belt the same is presented to the printing mechanism which produces a post mark or cancellation stamp on the same and which is associated with a letter controlled time stop so that the printing mechanism is inoperative at all times ex cepting when a letter is in a proper position to be forwarded to the printing mechanism and receive the impression therefrom at the right place. In its general organization this printing device comprises a rotatable printing wheel 29 which is provided on its periphery with a die or type face 30 corresponding to the desired impression to be produced on the letter and arranged to turn about a vertical axis at a point below the feed belt so that an impression of this wheel is produced on the lower part of the letters. Opposite the printing wheel is arranged an impression roller 31 which also rotates about a vertical axis and causes the letter to be supported at its lower edge while the printing wheel is producing an impression on the same. The axis of the printing wheel is fixed but that of the impression roller is bodily movable transversely of the letter path so that letters of varying thickness are capable of passing forwardly between the printing wheel and the impression roller without liability of injuring the printing device. For this purpose the impression roller is mounted on the upper end of a vertical shaft 32 which is journaled in a bearing on the free end of a rock arm 33 which latter is in turn pivoted on the underside of the supporting table, as shown in Figs. 2 and 3. The impression roller arm 33 is yieldingly moved toward the letter path by means of a. spring 34 bearing at one end against the impression roller arm and at its other end against a. collar 35 which is supported on a rod 36 which is fixedly connected with the underside of the table. The movement of the impression roller arm toward the letter path is arrested by means of an adjustable stop which preferably consists of a. stop collar 37 mounted on the rod 36 by means of a set screw 38, as shown in Fig. 6.

39 represents the upright driving shaft of the machine which is journalcd in an up right bearing on the underside of the machine and receives power from any suitable source and in any suitable manner, for instance, by means of a pair of intermeshingl bevel wheels 40 which are operatively connected with a prime mover of any suitable character. The driving shaft 39 is provided with a master gear wheel 41 which meshes with a. gear pinion 452 at the lower end of the impression roller shaft 32 and also with a gear pinion 43 which is mounted on the lower end of the shaft i4; upon which the delivery pulley 6 of the feeding belt is mounted, this last mentioned shaft being 11.3

journaled in a stationary bearing 45 on the table or frame of the machine.

The printing wheel is associated with a time stop mechanism which permits the same to make but one rotation for each letter presented to the printing mechanism and a frictional driving mechanism is provided for the printing wheel which causes the latter to be turned the instant the same is re leased from its stop mechanism but which slips relatively to the printing wheel when the latter is held against rotation. In the form of driving mechanism for the printing wheel which is shown in Figs. 1, 2 and (3, the

' same is mounted on the lower end of a driving sleeve 46 which latter is journaled on an upright stationary arbor or pivot pin 47. Above the printing wheel the driving sleeve is provided with an upwardly turned friction face 48 and above the latter is arranged a driving wheel 49 which engages the friction face on its underside with the fric tion face of the sleeve 46. The friction or gripping faces of the driving wheel. and sleeve are pressed toward each other to produce a frictional driving connection between these parts by means of a spring 50 surrounding the upper end of the driving sleeve and hearing at its lower end against the top of the driving wheel and at its upper end against an abutment collar 51 which is adjustably secured to the upper end of the driving sleeve by means of a set screw 52, as shown in Fig. 6. The driving wheel bears with its periphery against the face of the feeding belt and the latter is yieldingly held in engagement with this driving wheel or with the letter passing between the belt and the driving wheel by means of a presser roller 53 which bears against the back of the feeding belt transversely in line with the driving wheel.v This last mentioned presser roller is mounted on the free end of a horizontally swinging rock arm 54 the latter being pivoted on the central part of the arbor 26 and pressed yieldingly toward the letter path by means of a spring 55 bearing at its opposite ends respectively against the presser arm 54: and a collar 56 on said arbor, as shown in Fig. 3.

The driving roller or wheel i9 is rotated continuously by engagement with the face of the feeding belt and when the printing wheel is free the same rotates with the driving wheel by reason of the frictional connection between the same, but when the printing wheel is arrested the driving wheel merely slips or rotates idly on the driving sleeve.

My improved letter operated time stop mechanism which controls the rotation of the printing wheel so that but one rotation of the latter occurs for each letter passing forwardly through the machine may be variously constructed but that form of the same which is shown in Figs. 1-8 is constructed as follows: 57 represents a stop lug which is preferably formed in one piece with the driving sleeve immediately above the print ing wheel and which is of substantially V- shaped form in horizontal section and presents an inclined front face 58 and an inclined rear face 58 which faces converge outwardly and are both arranged tangentially to the axis of the printing wheel about which the stop lug rotates with this wheel.

59 represents an abutment which operates as a stop adapted to be engaged by the front face of the stop lug for arresting the rotary movement of the printing wheel after each printing operation of the same and to hold the same against rotation until the neXt letter is in the propenposition to receive an impression from the printing wheel. This abutment is provided with a flat face 60 which is adapted to be"engaged by the flat faces of the stop lug and is arranged tangentially relatively to the axis of the printing wheel. In its preferred form the abutment is constructed in the form of a rock arm which swings in a horizontal plane about a. normally fixed pivot which preferably consists of a screw 61, as shown in Figs. 6, 7 and 8, so that the free end of this arm which is provided with the flat stop face 60 can move into and out of the path of the stop lug 57.

62 represents a trip rock lever which turns about a vertical axis at a point in rear of the printing wheel by mounting the same upon the stationary arbor 23 which carries the rear letter guide roller 22. The rear arm of this rock lever is pivotally connected with one end of a link 68 while the opposite end of this link is pivotally connected with the free end of the abutment arm 59 thereby forming a toggle connection between this rock lever and the abutment arm so that upon rocking this lever the toggle will be folded or unfolded for causing the abutment arm to be moved out of the path of the stop lug or into the path of the same. lVhenthe toggle is straightened the pivotal connections between this link and the rock lever and abutment arm are in a line passing through the axes of the printing wheel and said rock lever or substantially so, in which position the abutment arm presents its flat stop face to the tangential front face of the stop lug so that the latter upon engaging the abutment arm, as shown in Fig. 7, will cause the forward rotary movement of the printing wheel to be arrested. The turning movement of the trip rock lever in this direction is effected by means of a main spring 6% connecting a tail ($5 on this lever with an adjacent stationary part of the machine. The movement of this rock lever in this direction is limited by means of a normally fixed stop 66 which is adapted to be engaged by the tail 65. The relative position of the stop tail 65 and the fixed stop 66 is preferably such that the pivotal connection between the trip rock lever and the link is arranged slightly beyond the dca d center at the end of the backward movement of this lever so as to form a positive lock in the toggle when the latter is in its unfolded position and thereby hold the abutment arm reliably in a position in which it will not be displaced by the pressure of the stop lug of the printing wheel against the same.

On the front arm of the trip rock lever is pivotally mounted a trip arm 67 which also swings horizontally and which is provided at its free end with a laterally projecting trip finger 68 which normally projects across the letter path and is adapted to be engaged by the front edge of a letter which is being moved forward by the feeding belt. The trip arm is yieldingly held in its operative position with its finger across the letter path by means of a spring 69 connecting this arm with the tail 65 of the trip lever or other suitable part thereof, the movement of the trip arm under the action of this spring being limited by means of a stop lug or tail 70 formed on the trip arm and engaging with a stop pin or shoulder 71 on the front arm of the trip lever, as shown in Fig. 7.

In the resting position of the printing wheel and the stop mechanism the trip lever is turned so that the toggle is straightened and the abutment arm is engaged by the stop lug so that the printing wheel is held against turning and the trip finger projects across the letter path, as shown in full lines in Fig. 7 When new a letter is fed forwardly by the feeding belt against the trip finger the latter is first pushed bodily forward so as to turn the trip lever and fold the toggle connection sufficient to withdraw the abutment arm from the path of the stop lug of the printing wheel, as represented by dotted lines in Fig. 7, thereby releasing the printing wheel and permitting the same to be turned forwardly by reason of the frictional driving connection of the same with its driving wheel. As the trip finger is moved forwardly by the letter engaging with the same its free edge is gradually withdrawn from the letter path by reason of this finger swinging about the axis of the trip lever at this time, this being possible by reason of the fact that the spring 69 connecting the trip arm with the trip lever is sufficiently stiff to render these parts practically rigid and operate as one piece at this time. hen the trip finger has been swung laterally relatively to the letter path sufficiently to clear the same under the pressure of the forwardly moving letter against the same this letter continues its forward movement independently of the trip finger and then enters between the die or type face of the printing wheel and the impression roller for producing an imprint of the same on the letter, the type surface of the printing wheel being so timed that the same reaches the printing position at the right time after the abutment arm has been withdrawn from the stop lug of the printing wheel by the action of the letter on the toggle stop mechanism. Inasmuch as the toggle is on a dead center or nearly so at the time the abutment arm arrests the rotation of the stop lug of the printing wheel an absolutely positive obstruction is presented which opposes the rotation of the printing wheel but owing to this toggle being arranged on a dead center a comparatively slight pressure of the letter against the trip finger will move the toggle from its dead center and when this occurs the constant pressure of the stop lug against the abutment arm causes the folding of the toggle to occur quickly and promptly release the printing wheel so that the latter can perform its printing operation at the proper time. When the stop lug has passed beyond the abutment arm and the latter is no longer subjected to the pressure of the stop lug the main spring 64 which connects the trip lever with a stationary part is sufficiently powerful to return the trip lever to its rearmost position in which the toggle is again unfolded or straightened and the abutment arm is again moved into a position across the path of the stop lug, as shown by full lines in Fig. 8. During such return of the trip lever to its normal operative position the same may move independently of the trip arm which is mounted on the same, this being possible owing to the fact that the rear end of the letter at this time may be still arranged in that part of the letter path which is traversed by the trip finger, as shown by full lines in Fig. 8, in which case the trip arm would remain in a retracted position at one side of the letter path while the toggle mechanism moves the abutment arm into its operative position. While the trip arm and its finger are arranged in their retracted position the tail of this arm is moved away from the stop 71 and the spring 69 associated therewith is strained, so that when the rear end of the letter clears the linger of this arm the latter will immediately be projected across the letter path, as indicated by dotted lines in Fig. 8 ready for being engaged by the neXt following letter which is fed from the supply stack to the printing mechanism.

Immediately after the stop lug of the printing wheel has been released from the abutment arm and moved forwardly a short distance the abutment arm again tends to return to its operative position under the action of the main spring 64:, but owing to the inclined rear side of the abutment lug which is engaged by the abutment arm during this return movement the latter is mechanism caused to resume its operative position slowly and gradually instead of suddenly, thereby avoiding noise as well as jarring and undue wearing of these parts. As the printing wheel completes its rotation after producing an impression on a letter the front inclined face thereof again engages with the stop face of the abutment arm by a wiping action and thereby causes the rotation of the printing wheel to be arrested gradually instead of suddenly so that no noise occurs at this time and undue wear or jarring of the machine is eliminated. By reason of the tangential engagement of the front face of the stop lug with the abutment arm the latter while being withdrawn from the path of the stop lug permits the same to begin its forward movement gradually instead of suddenly which action is desirable on account of the absence of shock and also the greater certainty with which the printing wheel moves relatively to the letter under the more perfect control which. is thus ob-. tained over the same.

For convenience in assembling or disassembling the printing wheel and the stop associated therewith these parts are preferably mounted on a bracket 72 so that the same can be put in the machine and also removed therefrom as a complete unit. As shown in Figs. 1, and 5-8, this bracket is detachably secured to the upper side of the table by means of bolts 73 and on it are mounted the arbor 47 which carries the printing wheel and driving pulley, the pivot 61 of the abutment arm, and the upright arbor 23 upon which the guide roller 22 and trip lever are mounted. It is therefore possible by this organization to easily remove the entire printing wheel, stop mechanism and associated parts for inspection, cleaning or repairs and also replace the same by another unit of like make if this should become necessary without causing an undue delay or interruption in the use of this machine, which is very essential in the postal service, particularly during the rush hours.

Inking of the die or type face of the printing wheel is produced by means of an ink wheel. 74 engaging with the die or type face and mounted on the table. This inking roller may be rotated in any suitable manner, for instance, by means of a drivin roller 75 engaging with the face of the belt and pivotally mounted on an adjacent sta tionary part of the machine and provided with a gear pinion 76 which meshes with a gear wheel 77 on the inking roller, as shown in Figs. 1 and 2.

As the marked or canceled letters issue from the printing mechanism under the action of the feeding belt these letters are successively deflected from this belt and accumulated in a pile on the receiving section of a table by means of rotatable stackers 78 which are mounted on the shaft which carrice the delivery pulley of the feed belt.

Instead of mounting the printing wheel and associated parts on a stationary arbor, as shown in Fig. 6, substantially the same result may be obtained by mounting these parts in the manner indicated in Fig. 9 in which an upright rotating shaft 79 is mounted at its upper and lower ends in suitable bearings 80, 81 arranged on a bracket 82 which is carried by the table, the print ing wheel 83 is mounted on the lower part of the shaft 79 and the driving wheel 84. is pressed frictionally against a friction face 85 on the shaft 79 by a spring 86 which is interposed between the upper side of this driving wheel and the upper bearing 80.

Instead of constructing the trip arm in the manner shown in Fi gs. 7 and 8 the same may be constructed and arranged, as shown in Fig. 10, in which case the trip arm 87 is mounted at one end on a link 88 which is pivoted on a stationary part of the machine while its opposite end is provided with.a segmental slot 89 which receives a pin 90 on the front arm of the trip lever 91. This trip arm is turned by means of a spring so that its finger 93 projects across the letter path, its movement in this direction being limited by the inner end of the slot 89 engaging with the pin 90 of the trip lever. As a letter is moved forward by the feeding mechanism it first engages with the finger 93 and moves the same forwardly together with its arm, supporting link 88 and trip lever 91, the latter withdrawing the abutment arm 95 from the path of the stop lug 96 through the medium of the link 97 which pivotally connects the trip lever with the abutment arm. After the trip arm has been thus moved forwardly together with the parts associated therewith the continued forward movement of the letter against the trip finger causes the same by engaging with the inclined face of this finger to deflect the same and its arm to one side of the letter path by this wedging action, during which movement the trip arm slides with its slot on the pin of the trip lever. As the trip lever is restored to its operative position by its main spring and the toggle has been straightened before the latter is clear of the letter path the trip arm remains in its retracted position until the rear end of the letter is past the trip finger and then its spring shifts the trip arm so that its finger again projects across the letter path ready for intercepting the next following letter.

I claim as my invention:

1. A mail marking machine comprising a rotatable printing wheel, a stop lug rotating with said wheel and having a stop facewhich is tangential to a circle concentric with the axis of said wheel, an abutment movable into and out of the path of said stop lug and having a stop face which is dapted to be engaged by the stop face of said lug and which in its operative position is arranged tangentially relatively to a circle concentric with the axis of said wheel and letter operated means for movingsaid abutment into its inoperative position comprising a rock lever, a link connecting one arm of said lever with said abutment, means mounted on the other arm of said lever and adapted to be engaged by the letters moving in the letter path, a spring operating to I move said lever, link and abutment to a position in which the pivotal connections between said link and the abutment and lever are in line with the axes of said wheel and lever, and a stop for limiting the movement of said parts under the action of said spring.

2. A mail marking machine comprising a rotatable printing wheel, a stop lug rotating with said wheel and having a stop face which is tangential to a circle concentric with the axis of said wheel, an abutment movable into and out of the path of said. stop lug and having a stop face which is adapted to be engaged by the stop face of said lug and which in its operative position is arranged tangentially relatively to a circle concentric with the axis of said wheel and letter operated means for moving said abut- .7 ment into its inoperative position comprising a rock lever, a link connecting one arm of said lever with said abutment, a trip arm pivoted on the other arm of said rock lever and provided with a finger adapted to project across the letter path in position to be engaged by the letters moving therein, a

Copies of this patent may be obtained for spring operating to vieldingly turn said trip arm in the direction for carrying its finger across the letter path, and a stop for limiting the movement of said trip arm under he action of the spring associated therewith.

3. A mail marking machine comprising a rotatable printing wheel, a stop lug rotating with said wheel and having a stop face which is tangential to a circle concentric with the axis of said wheel, an abutment movable into and out of the path of said stop lug and having a stop face which is adapted to be engaged by the stop face of said lug and which in its operative position is arranged tangentially relatively to a circle concentric with the axis. of said wheel and letter operated means for moving said abutment into its inoperative position comprising a rock'lever, a link connecting one arm of said lever with said abutment. a trip arm pivoted on the other arm of said rock lever and provided with a linger adapted to project across the letter path in position to be engaged by the letters moving therein, a spring operating to yieldingly turn said trip arm in the direction for carrying its finger across the letter path, and a stop for limiting the movement of said trip arm under the action of the spring associated therewith, and a bracket on which said printing wheel, abutment, trip lever and associated parts are mounted.

Witness my hand this 3rd day of March,

, FRED C. IELFIELD. lVitnesses THEO. L. Porr, ANNA Hnieis.

five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents.

Washington, I). C. 

